Apparatus for hydrating lime.



No. 840,076. PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907. M. MAURAN.

APPARATUS FOR HYDRATING LIME.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21. 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

MAX MAURAN, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO .CASTNER ELECTROLYTIC ALKALI COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR HYDRATING LIME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX MAURAN, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Hydrating Llme, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the hydration of lime, and articularly to a form of apparatus by which iime may be hydrated very quickly and economically and without permitting any injurious vapors to escape into the atmosphere.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the complete hydration of all grades and characters of lime, including those bearing quantities of magnesia or other substances which cause the lime to slake slowly under ordinary methods.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction, in the combination, and in the arrangement of parts and in the method as hereinafter set forth, and finally particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The drawing illustrates in side elevation, partly in section, a lime-hydrating apparatus embodying the princi les of my invention.

As is well known, ime must be hydrated to make it suitable for use in mortar, and this is now extensively done at specially constructed plants or factories equipped to do the work economically. The theory of hydration is very simple, requiring merely the addition of water to the lime; but in practice certain difficulties arise by reason of impurities in the lime, the time required for the hydration, and, perhaps most serious of all, the objectionable escape of volumes of lime-laden vapor into the atmosphere, especially in city communities. In carrying out my invention I aim to overcome these various defects, and particularly the last one, and, furthermore, to increase the economy and general efliciency of the hydration processes and ap paratus.

Referring to the drawing, in which like parts are designated by the same referencesign, 1 indicates a an in which the lime is hydrated by the adhition of water thereto. For this purpose the lime is placed in the pan and the water added, and it is best to have mouth 14 of the cone.

special stirring and sprinkling mechanismsuch, for example, as described in Patent No. 671,621, granted to Henry P. Dodge, dated April 9, 1901. By using such stirring mechanlsm and by-adding the right amount of water the lime may be hydrated into a dry pulverulent mass or powder capable of being packed up in bags for shipment. In this process large volumes of steam or vapor are given off, which are deflected by head 2 into a stack 3. The features thus far described may be of any ordinary or wellknown form and constitute no part of my inven- Patented Jan. 1, 1907. i

tion except in the combinations hereinafter recited.

The essential rinciple which I have utilized lies in the c eansing or scrubbing action which a water-spray has on a cloud of vapor. In addition to th s principle there is the further action by which the water spray condenses the vapor and absorbs the waste heat thereof. The practical construction for utilizing these principles embodies an arrangement of baflle-plates within the stack in combination with the source of water-supply. Means are also provided by which the water is finally collected and its heat utilized.

4 designates a water-pipe leading from any convenient source of supply and having a valve 5 and-a regulating-cock 5.

6 indicates the terminal end of the waterpipe, which is conveniently directed axially into the stack through an inverted cone 8, terminating in a tube or cylinder 7.

9 indicates a second tube or cylinder, of larger diameter, partially surrounding the tube or cylinder 7. This tube or cylinder is held in place by stay-rods 10 from the walls of the stack. The lower part of the cylinder 9 is a cone 11, having a mouth 14, below which is suspended a spreader 12 by a stem 13, supported by a cross-bar above the The major diameter of the spreader is greater than that of the receptacle 23,where the water fromthe trough is collected. 24 indicates a pipe connection to the hydration-pan l'from this tank or receptacle23. 25 indicates a valve for controlling the flow, which is manipulated for certain operations of the process, as hereinafter stated.

26 indicates an overflow-pipe for carrying off the excess of water after the tank 23 is filled.

The method of operation of my invention is as follows: A measured quantity of lime is placed in the pan 1 and a predetermined quantity of water added. As will hereinafter appear, the amount of water necessary is measured by the capacity of the tank 23. It is found in practice that there is a period of from one to three minutes time before the lime under treatment commences to hydrate. Therefore the pipe 24 should be of sufiicient size to discharge the contents of tank 23 Within this time. As soon as the lime in pan 1 commences to hydrate, valve 5 is opened, and the flow of water through pipe 6 is so adjusted by regulating-valve 5 that just enough water passes to fill the tank 23. Valve 5 is closed when a fresh charge of unslaked lime is being placed in the pan 1. Regulating-valve 5 remains set until it is necessary to readjust it, according to the quality of the lime under treatment, as some limes require more or less water to hydrate them. From this process there is developed a considerable amount of steam, which passes upward into the stack 3 and issues through the aperture 21 of the cone 19. vapor then passes around the edges of the protecting-cap 17 and leads successively through aperture 16, around the cylinder 9, then downward between cylinders 9 and 7, and, if it has not been previously condensed, out through the cylinder 7. In its path, after leaving the orifice 21, the vapor encounters a shower of water falling from the edges of cap 17 and through which it is obliged to pass. This water which comes from the pipe 6 flows into cone 11 and thence over the spreader 12 in a conical sheet or shower, which completely crosses the path of the upwardly-moving vapor. At the point 15, where the water would otherwise meet and flow down the walls of the stack, the stream is directed inward and flows from the edges The of the aperture 16 onto the cap 17 in a cylindrical sheet or shower. Finally, tlie water [lows from the protecting-cap 17 into the trough .18, thus forming a third cylindrical sheet or shower. The dime-laden vapor is therefore forced to pass through the falling water three times and is each time subjected to a scrubbing which removes more or less of the lime particles in suspension. The vapor is largely condensed by its contact with'the water-spray and falls with it into the trough 18. Such of the vapor as is not condensed has its lime particles quite fully removed by the water-spray and also a large amount of heat, so that the water which finally collects in the trou h 18 is hot and has almost all of the lime which would otherwise be wasted and carried into the atmosphere to become a nuisance and menace to the health of the populace. This warm water carrying the hydrate flows into the tank 23, to be used in hydrating the following charges of quicklime. When the next measure of lime is to be hydrated, the contents of the tank 23 are turned into the drum by opening thevalve 25, so that the new lime is hydrated by the Warm water collected in the previous operation. The lime that is carried by the water settles to the bottom of tank 23, which is made with a conical bottom, so that the accumulation of lime may be carried by the water in tank 23 back to the pan 1, leaving the tank 23 clean, so that the amount of water collected by it will always be the required amount. Not only is the wastelime therefore recovered and kept out of the atmosphere, but the warm water renders the process very much more eflicient and complete. Ordinary lime, and particularly lime high in magnesia, will consume much more time in slaking if cold instead of hot water be used. My process, therefore, not only economizes the lime, but accelerates the hydration as,

well.

Any lime-vapor that may escape through I the water-spray will be condensed upon the cylinders 7 and 9, which are provided as an extra precaution to secure against any lime getting into the atmosphere.

These cylinders are kept in a chilled condition by the water from the pipe 6, which is-in close proximity thereto. Water from this ipe beconies-spattered or sprayed upon t e cylinders in use, so that the lime-vapors are finally condensed by the contact with the cold walls, if they have not previously been condensed by the spray.

While my invention has been described in connection with a vertical stack in which the vapors rise naturally, it is obvious that the passage or chamber in which the scrubbing is done may be horizontal and that pressure may be used to force the vapors through the scouring-water however it may be arranged.

.IIO

What Iiclaim is a 1.\. In the-process of hydrating lime, the method consisting in; adding water to the "lime and conducting the lime-laden vapors through a shower of water and then utilizing the water collected from said shower to hydrate fresh bodies of lime.

2. The method of hydrating lime which consists in heating the water by initially bringing it in contact with the vagprs from a body s water to sub- 4. In an apparatus for hydrating lime, a

stack into which the lime-vapors pass, a nozzle for spraying water into said stack, baffleplates for deflecting the spray through the ime-vapor, a receptacle or collecting the resultant liquor, and means for conducting such liquor into contact with a fresh body of lime for subsequent hydrations.

5. In an apparatus for hydrating lime, a

i pan in which the lime is hydrated, a stack extending. upward from said pan, baffleplates within said stack by which the limevapors are deflected, means for injecting water into the stack to produce a shower through which the vapors pass, means for collecting the water after it has passed through the lime-vapors to cleanse the same,

and means for admitting this liquor into the pan for subsequent hydrations.

6..In an apparatus for hydrating lime, a

pan in which the'lime is hydrated, a stack extending upwardly therefrom, baffle-plates within said stack for deflecting the vapors out of a perpendicular. path, means for injecting a shower of water into thestack through which the vapors pass, a trough Within the stack for collecting the water after it has passed through the vapors, a receptacle below the level of said trough, a pipe connecting said receptacle and trough whereby the liquor flows from the trough to the receptacle, and means for conducting the liquor from the receptacle to the panfor subse uent hydrations. q

7. n an apparatus for hydrating lime, a

pan in which the lime is hydrated, a stack' extendingupwardly therefrom, baffle-plates within the stack for deflecting the vapors a plurality of times out of a perpendicular ture in the presence of two witnesses.

MAX MAURANQ Witnesses FRANCIS B. RICHARDS, HENRY J MOGOWAN.

. path, and means for injecting a shower of 'waterinto the stack so as to pass throu h- 

